Dredger-cutter.



A. LKIEVIGZ.

DREDGER CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..14, 190s.

Patented Nov.10,190s.

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INVENTOR A. LKIEVIGZ. DREDGER CUTTER.

APPLIOATIONTILED MAR; 14, 1908.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES ATT NEY THE NORRIS rsrsns ca, wasnmcrolv. n. c.

A. LKIEVIGZ.

DREDGER CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED Mu.'14,190'a.

903,210. Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR afi 4 0 awry M ATTQR Y ALFONSO LKIEVIOZ, OF BERKELEY,CALIFORNIA.

DREDGER-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Application filed March 14, 1908. Serial No. 421,092.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFoNso LKIEvIoz, citizen of United States, residingat Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Dredger-Cutters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to dredging and digging apparatus. It is especiallyapplicable to the dredging of gravel and material from the beds ofwater-courses for the purpose of saving any valuable or precious metalswhich may be associated therewith, and it can also be used for ordinarydredging purposes where earth or material is to be removed.

It consists of the combination of parts and details of constructionwhich will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a cross section taken through A-B, Fig.3, of a single outlet cutter wheel. Fig. 2 is a cross section of adouble outlet cutter wheel. Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section of acutter wheel. Fig. 4 is a side view partly in section of a suctionchamber. Fig. 5 shows various forms of screen bars. Fig. 6 is a sideView of a single outlet cutter wheel in combination with a singlesuction dredging pump. Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sideview of a double outlet cutter wheel in combination with a doublesuction dredging pump. Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is asection showin inclosed gears.

As shown in the drawings, A is a float. Hinged or otherwise connected tothe float is a ladder 16, the front end of which may be suspended bycable or rope 17, and said ladder may be raised or lowered by means ofsuitable winding drums at will of operator. At the end of said ladder isa cutter-wheel, connected through suitable gears or gearing to a motor.Upon the front of this ladder is journaled the cutter-wheel. This wheelhas its shaft 1 turnable in bearings 2 and is revolved by means of gearsas at 12, and pinions 13, mounted upon a shaft 14, which is journaledupon the ladder, and extends rearwardly, where by means of suitablegearing as at 18, power may be transmitted from suitable prime motor torotate said cutterwheel at any desired rate of speed. Upon theperiphery'of said cutter wheel are located one or more digging buckets8. These buckets 3 have a suitable scoop-shaped form and are adapted toexcavate the material from beneath and toward the front, as the bucketsare brought in contact with material.

The digging buckets 3 are open on the side facing toward the center ofthe wheel, and these openings 15 coincide with passageways 4: leading tothe side outlet 5 of the cutter wheel. These passage ways 4 are formedof side Walls 20, and radially curved or straight ribs 9 extending fromperiphery of the cutter wheel to or near the hub 6. This hub 6 is ofsuch length upon the axle as to substantially fit between or against thejournal-boxes 2, and its periphery extends radially outward convergingto a thin edge, as in Fig. 2, so that the side or sides of the hub formthe opposite side or sides of the discharge passage or passages, whichlead into the suction chamber 7. Placed in these passage-ways 4: arescreen bars 10, or perforated plates, extending entirely or part wayaround the circumference of the wheel, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and3.

By this construction it is seen that as the buckets 3 pass around thelower part of their travel, they are filled with material, and as therevolution is continued, the finer material is delivered by gravitybetween the screen bars 10 through the openings on the periphery ofwheel to the passageways 4i, and thence discharged through saidpassageways into the suction chamber 7, through side outlet 5 of cutterwheel. The coarse material, such as large sized rocks and debris, isretained in the buckets and as the cutter wheel continues itsrevolution, is discharged by gravity behind the wheel.

It is thus apparent that gold or other precious metal when once pickedup in digging buckets, cannot escape being delivered to the suctionchamber 7 by way of passages 4 and side outlet 5- 0f the cutter wheel,thence through the suction pipe 8 to the dredging pump, hydraulicelevator or similar elevating device.

The suction pipe 8 extends along the ladder and has a packed swiveljoint 19at the pump so that as the ladder is raised or depressed, theswivel joint 19 remains in an air-tight condition, while it allows thecutter wheel to follow the digging cut. The ladder is also fitted with ahydraulic nozzle 21 fixed with relation to the buckets that itpreferably as they approach the nozzle in a loaded condition, and whenthe contents of the buckets are of a clayey or adherentchau acter thejet or jets will disintegrate the mass. so. that the. finer. portions.will pass through the screens to'the central discharge, and any stonesor large material will remain outside the screens. The revolution of thewheel is'slow, and'when any bucket has passed over the top center andbegins to descend upon the other side, these stones or valueless'material will be discharged by gravitation behind the wheel, and willleave the buckets clear to excavate another load, and the apparatus willbe gradually advanced leaving this coarse material behind.

As it is necessary that the bed-rock be cut away to save all thevaluable material which may have accumulated in crevices, the mouths ofthe buckets are provided with supplemental cutting edges of nickel steelor other resistant material 11, and these outters may be replaced whenrequired, thus saving the'buckets.

In order to protect the submerged driving gears and associated partsfrom wear by contact with the erosive material that is being excavated,I have shown in Fig. 10 an inclosing housing 12 within which these partsare inclosed, and the parts which might be subjected to wear, togetherwith the lubricants employed, are thus maintained clean and withaminimuin of wear.

It should be understood that the casing of the driving shaft extendsabove the water line, and that all joints below the water line areimpervious to water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a dredger, a float, a hinged ladder projectingtherefrom, means for raising and lowering the front end of the ladder, acut ter wheel carried upon the front of said ladder'said wheel havingbuckets with openings leading inwardly towards the center of the wheel,a suction chamber communicating with the said openings, and a suctionpipe connecting with said chamber.

2. In a dredger, a float, a ladder hinged thereto, a cutter consistingof a revolving wheel, digging buckets carried on the pe riphery of saidwheel, said buckets having openings on'th side toward center of wheel,screening devices placed in said openings of buckets, passage-waysthrough cutter wheel leading from said openings in digging buckets toside outlet or outlets, a suction chamber to receive the material and asuction pipe connected therewith.

3. In a dredge, a float, a ladder hinged thereto, means for raising anddepressing the ladder, a' cutter wheel attached to the ladder, bucketsattached to the periphery of the wheel, said buckets having openings inthe sides toward ,center of wheel, continuous' passage-ways" connectingsaid openings in buckets with side outlets of cutter wheel, screeningdevices placed at the entrance to the buckets, said passage-ways leadingto side outlet, thence into suctionchainber.

I 4. In a dredge,'a float, a ladder hinged thereto, a cutter wheelattached thereto, buckets on the periphery of said wheel, pas: sage-waysleadingfrom said buckets to side outlets of the cutter wheel, saidpassageways formed of two side walls with dividing radial curved orstraight blades extending from the periphery of the wheel to or near hubof wheel. i i

5. In a dredger, the combination of a float, a ladder hinged thereto, acutter wheel attached to the ladder, said wheels having buckets withopenings leading inwardly towards the center of the wheel and thencediverging towards the sides thereof, and suction means communicatingwith the inner ends of said openings. 7

6. In a dredge, a float, a ladder, a cutter wheel, a suction chamber, asuction pipe leading from said suction chamber, a connected centrifugaldredging pump, a hy-' draulic elevating device, a packed swivel jointpermitting the raising. or lowering of said cutting wheel, andmaintaining anairtight joint at the side of the pump. 7 In a dredge, afloat, a ladder, a cutter wheel, a suction chamber and pipe, a dredgingpump and hydraulic elevator, a hydraulic nozzle so placed on aboveladder, as to permit water issuing therefrom to strike inside of cutterwheel buckets, water under pressure supplied thereto through pipeattached to ladder, thence to pressure pump.

8. The combination in an apparatus of the character described, of acutter wheel having inclosed peripheral buckets with open fronts andcutting edges, said buckets having, also,

openings leading inwardly towards the center of the wheel, guidesextending inwardly from the rear of the buckets and'forming walls ofpassages to which the said openings lead, a hub portion having aperiphery around the wheel periphery, with inwardly directing guides atthe rear, and screening devices fixed between the mouths of the bucketsand the discharge.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a revoluble wheel with acentral out wardly delivering discharge, a substantially continuousperipheral screen device, open mouth buckets fixed to the wheel exteriorto the screen said buckets having inwardly convergent directing platesor surfaces.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a revoluble wheel with acentral dis charge and peripheral screen surface, open mouth bucketslocated exterior to the screen, said buckets having removable cuttingblades fixed around their mouths.

13. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a revoluble wheelhaving peripheral digging buckets and inwardly directing guides orblades, an annular central discharge opening with outwardly curvededges, and a central hub having its sides outwardly curved to correspondwith the edges of the discharge openings of the wheel.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, a revoluble wheel havingperipheral digging buckets and convergent inwardly directing guides, anannular outwardly divergent central discharge opening, a concave sidedhub forming the inner surface of said opening, exterior chambers withbearings for the wheel shaft, and annular inturned edges overlapping theedges of the wheel discharge openings, and suction pipes connecting withsaid chambers.

15. In a dredge, a float, a ladder hinged thereto, a cutter wheelattached thereto, a bucket on the periphery of said wheel, a passage-wayleading from said bucket to side outlet of cutter wheel. a

16. In an apparatus of the character described, a hollow excavatingwheel or cutter, asuction pipe connected with the wheel, a drivingshaft, gear and pinion through which motion is communicated to thecutter, and an inclosing housing for said moving parts.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, a cutting wheel,inclosed bearings for its journal-shaft, a driving shaft, pinion andgear through which motion is transmitted to the cutter, and an inclosinghousing therefor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 'my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- IIGSSGS.

Gno. II. STRONG, Jnssna C. Brenna.

